A carjacking that began in Santa Cruz Thursday night resulted in two high speed chases in two counties.

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The incident began when a man parked his 2015 Lexus RCF Sport Coupe on Baldwin Street and began walking home at 8:30 p.m.

A carjacker approached him with a high-powered assault rifle and demanded that he hand over his luxury car's keys.

As the thief sped off in the Lexus, the victim called 911 and police utilized Project ROPE.

The car was spotted 10 minutes later by an officer on Western Drive near Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. The thief hit the gas pedal and accelerated to more than 100 miles per hour on Highway 1, Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark said.

"Because of the excessive speeds, wet roadways, and cross traffic, SCPD discontinued the pursuit after approximately 1 mile," Clark said.

Officers told the victim to activate a Sirius XM satellite radio feature that tracks the vehicle, and dispatchers received periodic updates on the car’s locations.

The carjacker eventually drove into San Mateo County, where deputies spotted the vehicle and initiated a short pursuit before the Lexus escaped again.

The Lexus was eventually found abandoned in San Gregorio on a rural roadway off Highway 84 in San Mateo County.

Because of the remote location, darkness, and the potential that the suspect had an assault rifle, the decision was made to monitor the Lexus overnight with a SWAT team and use a helicopter to search the surrounding area.

The carjacker was not found. He was described as white and between 20-25 years old. He was wearing a baseball hat, black jacket, jeans, and a bandana over his face.

San Gregorio residents who live near where the Lexus was ditched were alerted by deputies Friday that there may be an armed and dangerous man in their small town.